MAX JOURDAN

SERIES DIRECTOR Credits
March 2018
Project Q. Fulwell 73
Developing character led and interwoven story lines across this 6 episode series focusing on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar while setting the cinematographic style and directorial tone. Exec: Leo Pearlman. SP: Julian Thomas.

Selected SHOOTING PD Credits
July-August 2021
SHARKS UK with STEVE BACKNALL. Sky, True to Nature
Steve Backshall gets up close and personal with sharks in UK waters; advocating for conservation and dispelling the Jaws myth.
Exec. Wendy Darke.
June 2021
MURDER IN MY VILLAGE : YVONNE MCCANN Sky, Avalon UK
Exec. Dean Griffiths
August-October 2020
MILLY DOWLER: THE MISSING FILES. Channel 5, Acme TV
True crime two-parter focusing on the murder of 13-year-old Milly Dowler.
Exec. Jamie D'Cruz. Commissioner at C5: Dan Louw
Jan - March 2020
IN THE WOMB. Nat Geo Channel, Pioneer Productions
A series focusing on pregnancy; capturing the incredible moments of a baby's development and the emotional drama of birth. Mixing cutting edge CGI with observational documentary footage. Exec. Helen Williamson
Sept 2019
CURSING IN THE CLASSROOM. Channel 5, BBC Studios
Observational documentary following the life of Natalie Pearson - A school teacher wrestling with Tourette's; a condition triggered in adulthood by a traumatic rape.
BBC Exec. Rob Unsworth. Commissioner at C5: Dan Louw
July 2017
ESCAPE. Channel 4, Maverick
New fact-ent survival series presented by former SAS, Ant Middleton. As PD across 2 episodes, I shot in hostile jungle and coastal environments on the Sony FS7 camera. Working closely with the story producer and SD to direct contributors and drive exciting and emotionally powerful storylines. Exec: Nina Davies. SP: Rob Rawlings
Oct 2016 - April 2017
THE MAFIA'S GREATEST HITS. ITV & Discovery, World Media Rights
Working to a tight budget without compromising a creative brief, I scripted drama and dialogue based on my historical research before directing and edit-producing 2x I hour docudrama programs. Also studio lit and shot 15 interviews.
Exec. David McNab & Ned Parker
April - August 2016
KILLER CLERGY. Discovery, Sky Vision
Scripting drama and dialogue, directing and edit-producing 2x I hour docudrama programs. In addition to directing actors and crews, I conducted interviews with criminal experts and supervised actuality shoots in the USA. Exec. Stuart Rose.
Nov 2014 - March 2015
THE BOY WITH THE GIANT HANDS. Channel 5, Barcroft Productions
Producing, directing and edit-producing this observational film about a boy with an extreme medical condition. Shooting in India, I had to secure and maintain the trust and goodwill of an eight year-old and his parents as he underwent painful surgery. Exec. Caspar Norman.
Aug - Oct 2014
JODIE MARSH - WOMEN WHO PAY FOR SEX. Discovery TLC UK, Thumbs Up
Producing, directing and self-shooting with celebrity presenter Jodie Marsh as we travelled across Jamaica, USA and the UK in search of women who pay for sex. Involved negotiating difficult access and interviews with contributors engaged in criminal activities. Exec. Cheryl Price.
Oct 2013 - Jan 2014
THE FIRST GREAT ESCAPE. Channel 5 & Nat Geo, Back2 Back
Scripting, producing, directing and edit-producing this presenter-led history program; which skillfully weaves period drama reconstruction, interviews, CGI and archive material.
Exec. Benedetta Pinelli. 2014.
Feb - May 2013
THE ALPS MURDERS, Channel 4. Rize USA
I scripted, directed and edit-produced this complex and carefully-crafted current affairs film; mixing dramatic reconstructions, interviews and archive. Working with French contributors and prosecutors. Exec. Daniel Pearl & Sheldon Lazarus
April - July 2012
UFO CONSPIRACY ROAD TRIP. BBC3 , Renegade Pictures
Directing and producing comic standup, Andrew Maxwell and a group of UFO-obsessed contributors on a road trip across the USA. Managing talent, tricky contributors and conducting interviews with NASA scientists along the way. Exec. Harry Lansdown & Alan Hayling.
June - Oct 2011
GOLD RUSH. Discovery, Raw
Working as a self-shooting PD in the harsh Alaskan wilderness while following and maintaining the trust of teenager Parker Schnabel before edit-supervising across two episodes of this award-winning series. Exec. Dimitri Doganis & Sam Maynard.
Jan 2009 - July 2010
THE VOYAGE OF THE PLASTIKI. Nat Geo, Renegade Pictures
An extreme hostile environment project as I spent nearly five months at sea directing and self-shooting aboard a raft made of recycled plastic bottles as we sailed across the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Sydney without any backup assistance. I edited produced 2 x 1 hour films from hundreds of hours of rushes. Exec. Alan Hayling.
2008
LAS VEGAS COMES TO CHINA. Nat Geo, Renegade Pictures
I spent 5 months immersed in Macau to make these 2 x 1 hour observational, character-led films following American billionaire, Sheldon Adelson's attempt to build and run the world's largest casino in Communist China. Exec. Sam Anthony.
May - Nov 2006
TOURETTES REWIRED. Channel 5, Bellwether Media
I shot, directed and edit-produced this observational film about three emotionally complex individuals as they underwent radical brain surgery. Involved filming hours of brain operations and managing traumatized contributors. Exec. Malcolm Neaum.
Oct - Dec 2005
MARRIED TO THE MONSTER. ITV, CTVC
Maintaining the trust of a notorious child rapist's family, his victims and that of police detectives; I shot, directed and edit-produced this incredibly sensitive access observational film. Exec. Nina Davies.
June - Oct 2005
THE WOMAN WITH HALF A BODY. Channel 5, Tiger Aspect
I shot, directed and edit-produced this sensitive access observational film. Shooting on location over five weeks of to gradually develop trust and build a portrait of a woman with an extraordinary physical disability. Exec: Jeremy Bradshaw.
June - Oct 2003
RENEGADE FIDDLER. ARTE, Idéale Audience.
Winner of the Unesco Festival Music Award 2003.
Directing this classical music road-movie from California to India. Managing talent, staging music sequences and working with large multi-lingual crews. Exec: Hélène Lecoeur.
2001
THE TOUGHEST SHERIFF IN AMERICA. Feature-length DVD release / Channel 5
I exec-produced, developed and directed this feature-length observational film focusing on a brutal killing of an inmate in Sheriff Arpaio's notorious jail. Working closely with US police officers, prison guards, hostile contributors and the family of the murdered inmate to produce a nuanced and powerful story. Exec: Justine Kershaw.

CONTENT DIRECTOR Credits
June 2021 Writing scripts, directing storyboards and formulating production directives for BT's live streaming event - Sophie Ellis-Bextor's Unbreakable Heroes and Amazon's viral prankster content with Freddie Flintoff. The Academy PR.
December 2019 Scriptwriting, supervising storyboards and directing the Christmas online ad for Zizzi chain of restaurants. The Academy PR.
March 2015 Working with a leading media NGO, I wrote, produced and directed drama TV spots aimed at changing family planning in the DR Congo. Development Media International.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Credits
AMERICA´S PRIVATE WAR. BBC 2 This World. Exec. Karen O'Connor.
Investigation into the use of private contractors in America's war against left-wing guerrillas and cocaine in Colombia.
LIBERIA STORIES. Al Jazeera English.
Investigative series focusing on Liberia: child labour in Firestone's tire factories, rebel-controlled mining and exclusive interview with President Johnson-Sirleaf. Presented by award-winning journalist, Juliana Ruhfus. 3x 30 minutes.
THE MAN WHO BOUGHT A RIVER. Al Jazeera English.
Current affairs observational series on water resources in India. 2x 30 minutes.
NOLLYWOOD. Al Jazeera English.
Observational series set around the Nigerian film industry. Divas, dwarves, directors and problems with the religious authorities. 4x 30 minutes.

Selected EDIT PRODUCER Credits
Sept 2021
TRUE BELIEVERS - TEAL SWAN Vice, Viceland
Hour-long episode focusing on the controversy surrounding the online wellness guru.
Dec 2018
I KNEW JESUS - JUDAS History Channel, Nutopia
Hour-long episode of a drama documentary series focusing on the New Testament.
Sept 2018
NARCOS UK; THE SCOTTISH GODFATHER. Channel 5, ITN Productions
Docudrama series focusing on the rise, reign, and fall of contemporary British gangsters.

DRAMA Credits
My documentary experience and passion for storytelling has led me to script writing and DRAMA DIRECTING. Drift, shot on a remote Mediterranean island with a multilingual cast and crew, is my first 40' mini feature. http://vimeo.com/maxjourdan/drift

I have also directed two shorts Fractured https://vimeo.com/97838979 and Drowning in Air https://vimeo.com/121233022

I am now set to direct my first feature: The Visitation / Les Intrus adapted from Naomi Wallace's award-winning play, is a unique, gritty dramatic rollercoaster set in London during the great plague of 1665... https://vimeo.com/134823706 https://vimeo.com/141782907

I am also developing my feature length screenplay adaptation of the Lord God Bird, a novel by Russell Hill.

Other Career Highlights
A photography graduate from the Royal College of Art, I spent a decade working as a professional photographer before embarking on my TV career. My photographs have been published and exhibited around the world.
Running my own production company, I Exec Produced for Al Jazeera making a series of current affairs and foreign investigative programs. I also co-produced and presented a program for BBC's This World, securing complex and sensitive access around the issue of American private contractors running covert operations in Colombia.